Renewed Calls For Black Panther Investigation

CHESAPEAKE, VA -- When J. Christian Adams resigned in protest over the Justice Department's ("JD") dismissal of a voter rights case against the New Black Panther Party, Bishop Jackson and his organization called for a Congressional investigation. He appeared with Megyn Kelly on Fox News' America Live, to argue that the JD was "betraying everything Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement stood for." Now the Bishop is renewing that call in light of new evidence presented to the Civil Rights Commission by Christopher Coates, Assistant Attorney General and former Supervisor for the AG's Voting Rights Section.

Bishop Jackson, an admirer of Dr. Martin Luther King, founded the Chesapeake Martin Luther King Leadership Breakfast in the city of Chesapeake, Virginia. However, Jackson believes the AG's office is perverting the legacy of King. "Is this what we fought for," asks Jackson, "to trample the rights of white Americans or black Americans who don't meet the liberal litmus test? This would deeply offend Dr. King, and it ought to offend every American, regardless of party affiliation."

The New Black Panther case had been dormant, but was resurrected when Christopher Coates answered -- against the orders of his superiors -- a subpoena to testify at the Civil Rights Commission hearing on the case. Coates testified that Justice Department political appointees are "hostile" to enforcement of voting rights in behalf of whites. He named Loretta King as the person who (1) ordered the dismissal of the Black Panther case and (2) made clear that cases in behalf of whites were not to be pursued. He also claimed that Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez testimony that political appointees were not involved in the decision on the Black Panther case was false. Coates confirmed Christian Adams allegations. Coates worked for the ACLU in the 70's and 80's and has a long history of civil rights work defending black Americans.

Says Jackson, "We need to find out if the Attorney General and his staff are enforcing the Voting Rights Act with racial bias. If a Congressional investigation finds evidence of violation of the rights of voters and perjury to cover it up, a special prosecutor should be appointed to bring the perpetrators to justice. I trust that the new Congress will make this a priority."